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Lots of good accurate thought here:
1) we never learn to truly move
2) some never are exposed to the full range of motion and strength their body is capable of
3) we STOP...and biologically tell our bodies its time to fall apart
4) focus on show muscle, though the MAA scene is changing that.
( and who separated martial arts to begin with?)

since passing the 40 mark ive noticed that a layoff of activity will result is faster deterioration than in my 20's, when we were all kings, and even my 30's, when we were still a force to be reconed with.

Most of the strength is still there, but the thing i notice is the flexibility/range of motion stuff.

As an example, about two years ago i was doing a routine of exercises designed to increase my lower body and hip mobility. Most of these would have been child's play for a teenage girl dance student, but for me they were a bit difficult, and a little gay. But the results were WORTH it.
After about 8 months of this, i went into a maintenance mode, then to lifting. Some of the range of motion remained, yet the lateral movement that i had developed was gone in a few weeks without doing specific movements.
The bright side is that the body remembers what it once was, and wants to return to it. As i climbed up to a top bunk to inspect a vent, then jumped down the other day, a 20is inmate remarked that he was surprised how well i could move as long as Ive been in the game. So there is some left still..

Having been a parkour instructor for 10 years now, it is my opinion that people cease to improve movement when they cease to allow themselves physical play. Running, jumping, climbing, roughhousing—children do these things as naturally as wolf puppies playing at tearing each others throats out. But come adolescence not only are there distractions—social media, learning to build deeper relationships with people, and of course the stigma that “play” is for children—the majority of westerners no longer move and play naturally, and those who do remain physical largely follow the same regimented systems and sports that produce the same (sometimes questionably useful) patterns rather than turning focus to elevating movement capacity/adaptability.

This is also why, I believe, the spectacle American Ninja Warrior has become so popular, as well as the explosion of other obstacle-course sports and events in the last handful of years. Humans still crave physicality and play but for most it doesn’t occur to them that their body is one that can/must do it. So they do it vicariously through watching or pay for others to create scenarios and incentives for them, like receiving a t-shirt and a medal to add to their collection after completing the manufactured scenario.

Then, of course, there’s necessity and the lack-of. Few outside of service roles “need” to move in any particular way. As stated in previous posts, there is excessive sitting and leisure in our society. Most have turned to media for mental/emotional stimulation because it’s more easily accessible than methodically tearing yourself apart and building yourself back up.

And, finally, I have to agree that most people never truly learn to move. I would add, though, that a very large part of this is never having learned to fall and so having no mental/emotional security around training. Practicing falling/ukemi is one of the best ways to improve movement confidence and the ability to remain safe under challenge yet we do not teach people to fall outside of specific sports. It has always been strange to me that most in our society receive basic education for things like hygiene and nutrition, and even for spiritual well-being through religion, but not be prepared en masse to take the non-success situations that come with challenging movement ability.

Postscript: For those who only know parkour as young guys recklessly jumping off of things, I invite you to take a closer look at the original practitioners, all 40+ now, still training smart, hard, and moving well.

Similar to other movement practices such as Fighting Monkey and Ido Portal’s “Movement Culture” not all of the training itself is or need be efficient or use utility-based motions since the intent is to seek as many different challenges as possible to build fluency in physical control, proprioception, and reaction so that when the need arises there are already options in place that do not have to be thought through. My personal practice also follows this same focus on physical fluency, adaptability, and longevity.

So I am 57. I just had elbow surgery not seven days ago. It still hurts...I did it with a local only...because I am a bad motherf*er. I stopped taking dope yesterday. Pain is a good thing now and then. Today I put in a long day...I cant yet do upper body work...but I did this.

100 bench leg raises
100 air squats
100 roundhouse kicks on bag

Ten sets. And I feel like I haven't done enough.

I have never met Marcus Lutrell...but his line...you are never out of the fight....is spot on.

The other night my girlfriend locked herself out of her condo. Second floor. Balcony door was open.

I planted my foot on the metal stair railing and jumped around the corner up to the vertical balcony railing supports. Climbed my way up, basically like a pegboard, except up vertical bars. There's a drainage gutter attached to the bottom of the balcony, so no using feet. Couldn't break that thing off. Muscleup over the railing and inside I went.

Dog was kinda freaked out.

Still had my gun, mag, and knife in my belt.

I don't know many dudes my age who would've even contemplated going up that way. Gymnastics background, actively coaching high-level movements, playing around with the Ninja Warrior guys, and staying in great shape has its benefits.

The other night my girlfriend locked herself out of her condo. Second floor. Balcony door was open.

I planted my foot on the metal stair railing and jumped around the corner up to the vertical balcony railing supports. Climbed my way up, basically like a pegboard, except up vertical bars. There's a drainage gutter attached to the bottom of the balcony, so no using feet. Couldn't break that thing off. Muscleup over the railing and inside I went.

Dog was kinda freaked out.

Still had my gun, mag, and knife in my belt.

I don't know many dudes my age who would've even contemplated going up that way. Gymnastics background, actively coaching high-level movements, playing around with the Ninja Warrior guys, and staying in great shape has its benefits.

The other night my girlfriend locked herself out of her condo. Second floor. Balcony door was open.

I planted my foot on the metal stair railing and jumped around the corner up to the vertical balcony railing supports. Climbed my way up, basically like a pegboard, except up vertical bars. There's a drainage gutter attached to the bottom of the balcony, so no using feet. Couldn't break that thing off. Muscleup over the railing and inside I went.

Dog was kinda freaked out.

Still had my gun, mag, and knife in my belt.

I don't know many dudes my age who would've even contemplated going up that way. Gymnastics background, actively coaching high-level movements, playing around with the Ninja Warrior guys, and staying in great shape has its benefits.

They used to call me "Spiderman" when I worked south. Well, they called me a lot of things, but this was because I would routinely climb up to the second or third floor balconies of apartment complexes, usually hand over hand on the vertical rails.

Even bad guys leave their balcony sliders unlocked.

I am not a graceful person, so this was undoubtedly hard to watch. I did it once in full view of the XO, who was riding along with another deputy on my shift. I caught hell for that.